What a wonderful Daddy that I have (Ray McCormick of Kountze)! The other day, as the preacher spoke, I realized that I have the kind of faith in him that I have in God. We can choose to believe or doubt. I have never doubted anything that he ever told me because he always told me the truth and carried through with anything he said and would do.

How blessed I am to have grown up and had that kind of father. Nothing has ever been too much for him or caused him too much pain to help me along the years of my life. I have gone through many trials but he has always been there to hold my hand and assure me that everything was going to be OK.

Because of his influence in my life, I can easily love my heavenly Father. So I have two of the greatest examples of love that anyone could have!

I stopped by the packed BISD meeting on Monday as layoff "postponement" was considered but "postponement" just gives credibility to a ridiculous idea.

I, like many, have tried to ignore BISD shenanigans, hoping for miraculous resolve, but foxes guarding the henhouse hasn't worked out.

Beaumont had Texas step in before with the 1960s James Commission. Our oil-field beginnings set us up for wheeling and dealing, but not with children's education. I was told by a recent graduate that "crooks still have their jobs." What kind of a lesson is that?

The most uncomfortable dimension of the BISD fiasco is the racial element. Contemplating firing teachers and stopping school programs to cover for unrecovered stolen money makes it evident that it's not about race but dishonesty. I think elements within the BISD made it racial to pad wrongdoings and I think some white people are racially motivated. But those are deeper issues we have yet to adequately address as a nation or community.

I don't know why the TEA hasn't swooped in, James-Commission-style, investigated recent and present wrongdoing, recovered money and assured prison time. The more citizen involvement, the hotter the fire under BISD misdeeds will become. Please don't forget the kids waving their heartfelt signs for their future.

Maggi Carter, Beaumont

----------------------------------------

COLD RECEPTION WELL-DESERVED

Given the extremely cold reception from the audience at the West Brook graduation, the BISD superintendent and his administration should have no doubt how the public at large feels about them collectively and individually.

How can they, hearing no applause, think that anyone would have any confidence in their ability to do anything but cause more problems? They are at best inept and at worst total incompetents.

This was as close to a representative audience of the population at large as they could face.

For all the illegal activities that occurred on their "watch," I say in jest, the first solution is to penalize the very people who are the foundation of the educational system - the teachers!

As for the current board: These are people voters hired and are supposed to be the watchdogs. The grade here would be an "F" and only because there is nothing lower. Has there even been a more dysfunctional system in the state of Texas? Very doubtful. How sad for good, honest, hard-working teachers and good honest citizens.

For the first time in my 73 years, I am ashamed for anyone to know I'm from Beaumont. Anyone who didn't see this coming, although the scope of it could not have been imagined, hasn't been paying attention since that inept board 15 years ago hired the previous superintendent.